British PM: Royal Will Settle Differences with Harry, Meghan

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Tuesday he believes members of the royal family can settle differences over Prince Harry¹ and his wife Meghan.

Harry and Meghan, also known as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, want to break free of their royal duties and move to Canada.

The two have received approval from Queen Elizabeth. She said she and other family members regret the decision but understand and respect it.

Agreement on important details has yet to be reached, however, and some difficult decisions need to be made. Canada's leader also has raised questions. But Boris Johnson told a BBC television (TV) reporter that the monarchy² will be able to find solutions.

"My view on this is very straightforward³: I am a ... fan, like most of our viewers, of the queen and the royal family as a(n)...asset for our country," Johnson said.

The royal family held a crisis meeting Monday at the queen's Sandringham House property in eastern England. Johnson said he believes they will be able to find agreement "much more easily without a running commentary from politicians."

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex started the crisis when they released a statement last week. They said they wanted to step back from most royal duties and become financially independent.

The two have decided⁴ to spend at least part of their time in Canada, a Commonwealth⁵ country where the queen is head of state. Meghan worked in Canada for seven years while filming the TV series "Suits."

The move angered some royals who had not been involved in the decision. The Sandringham meeting brought together the 93-year-old queen, her eldest⁶ son and heir Prince Charles, his son Prince William and his brother Prince Harry.

After the meeting, the Queen release a statement saying the family will not try to stop Prince Harry and Meghan from seeking independence.

After it was clear they will live in Canada, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said his country welcomes the news, but he has issues to discuss. Among the issues are the high cost of providing day-to-day security for Harry, Meghan and their son, Archie.

"I think most Canadians are very supportive of having royals be here, but how that looks and what kind of costs are involved, there are still lots of discussions to have," Trudeau told Canadian TV. He added that so far there have been no official talks on the issue between the Canadian and British governments.

Britain's royal family is protected by a special team of officers from London's Metropolitan⁷ Police, also known as Scotland Yard. The cost of that protection is not made public.

In addition to security costs, it is likely that some special force of London police would have to operate in Canada.

Many financial questions remain. The queen says Harry and Meghan do not plan to use public money when they step back from royal duties. So it is possible they may be asked to pay for their security.

Harry and Meghan have said that one of their goals is to become financially independent. It is not known if they will continue to receive money from Harry's father, Prince Charles, who uses earnings⁸ from the Duchy of Cornwall estate to pay for many royal activities. The estate earned more than $26 million last year.

Harry and Meghan have announced plans to launch a charitable organization in the coming year. They just completed a six-week vacation in western Canada with their baby. Meghan has returned to Canada after a short visit to London last week.

Words in This Story

royal – adj. belonging to a king or queen or members of their family

monarchy – n. a country that is ruled by a king or queen

fan – n. someone with a strong interest in another person or thing

asset – n. a thing that is good, helpful or valuable

Commonwealth – n. the countries that were once part of the British Empire

heir – n. one who has rights to the property or position of another after that individual's death

charitable – adj. relating to the assistance of those in need

1 harry   

vt.掠夺，蹂躏，使苦恼

参考例句：

• Today,people feel more hurried and harried.今天，人们感到更加忙碌和苦恼。
• Obama harried business by Healthcare Reform plan.奥巴马用医改掠夺了商界。

2 monarchy   

n.君主，最高统治者；君主政体，君主国

参考例句：

• The monarchy in England plays an important role in British culture.英格兰的君主政体在英国文化中起重要作用。
• The power of the monarchy in Britain today is more symbolical than real.今日英国君主的权力多为象徵性的，无甚实际意义。

3 straightforward   

adj.正直的，坦率的；易懂的，简单的

参考例句：

• A straightforward talk is better than a flowery speech.巧言不如直说。
• I must insist on your giving me a straightforward answer.我一定要你给我一个直截了当的回答。

4 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

5 commonwealth   

n.共和国，联邦，共同体

参考例句：

• He is the chairman of the commonwealth of artists.他是艺术家协会的主席。
• Most of the members of the Commonwealth are nonwhite.英联邦的许多成员国不是白人国家。

6 eldest   

adj.最年长的，最年老的

参考例句：

• The King's eldest son is the heir to the throne.国王的长子是王位的继承人。
• The castle and the land are entailed on the eldest son.城堡和土地限定由长子继承。

7 metropolitan   

adj.大城市的，大都会的

参考例句：

• Metropolitan buildings become taller than ever.大城市的建筑变得比以前更高。
• Metropolitan residents are used to fast rhythm.大都市的居民习惯于快节奏。

8 earnings   

n.工资收人；利润，利益，所得

参考例句：

• That old man lives on the earnings of his daughter.那个老人靠他女儿的收入维持生活。
• Last year there was a 20% decrease in his earnings.去年他的收入减少了20%。